Top 2016 Marketing Charts You Can’t Afford to Ignore

Marketing is a numbers game and you can always count on statistics to show the potential for marketing success. And as content becomes more visual, charts are providing a scannable view of the data that makes a difference. But which 2016 charts should figure into 2017 campaigns? As 2016 winds down, DigitalDoughnut.com summed up the year’s top marketing charts that held the greatest value.

1. The Musts for Marketing Spend in 2016
According to research by Selligent and StrongView, the channels where marketers are focusing most of their time and attention are email marketing, social media, online display advertising, and mobile marketing. Yet email remained the top priority for marketers in 2016, with 60% of respondents saying they were raising their email marketing spending.

2. The Increase in Mobile Online Ad Spending
eMarketer published a chart about the future of mobile online spending. It showed that mobile ad spend is forecast to reach nearly $105 billion, which will make it surpass desktop ad spend by the end of 2016. And in only three years, mobile ad spend is projected to reach $198 billion.

3. Consumer Expectations for the Mobile Shopping Experience
Now that mobile usage has far exceeded desktops, consumers are turning to their smartphones for more than socializing and are commonly using their phones for retail research to shopping, to socializing. As a result, the mobile shopping experience is vital to making the sale. That’s why Nielsen analyzed consumer expectations from their mobile shopping experience. Their research revealed that the four factors in closing a sale included:

The ability to view product pictures.

The use of a mobile-friendly version of the website.

Accurate product descriptions.

The chance to read product reviews.

4. Optimizing the Customer’s Online Experience
The customer experience has the power to increase sales, maximize customer value, build customer loyalty, and draw new customers to a business. A survey by CMO Council and SAP Hybris asked marketers to cite the most important qualities in the customer online experience. Their responses showed the most significant were:

A fast response times to consumer needs and complaints.

A consistently good experience across all of a brand’s channels.

Knowledgeable staff ready to help at any time and any place a customer needs.

Clear, cohesive information and messaging and information on all brand channels.

4. Optimizing the Customer’s Online Experience
The customer experience has the power to increase sales, maximize customer value, build customer loyalty, and draw new customers to a business. A survey by CMO Council and SAP Hybris asked marketers to cite the most important qualities in the customer online experience. Their responses showed the most significant were:

A fast response times to consumer needs and complaints.

A consistently good experience across all of a brand’s channels.

Knowledgeable staff ready to help at any time and any place a customer needs.

Clear, cohesive information and messaging and information on all brand channels.

5. The Social Media Networks Used by Brands for Marketing
Social media has exploded in recent years, especially for retail marketing and connecting with younger consumers. As a result, research has shown that social networks now play a major role in 57% of consumer purchasing decisions and their positive view of a company. And more than one-third of Millennials say that social media is one of their favored channels for communicating with a business. To see which social platforms were most popular with brands, eMarketer published a chart outlining the percentage of companies using the leading platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram over the last few years. The chart displayed that Facebook usage grew to 85.8% from 81.9% in 2013. But the biggest difference was seen in Instagram adoption, with 70.7% of companies using the platform today, as opposed to only 11.5% usage in 2013.

To see more of the marketing charts that counted in 2016, check out the full listing here.